Air filter construction



[July 5, 1966 e. D. KRAUSE AIR FILTER CONSTRUCTION Filed Sept. 16, 1963 INVENTOR. GEORGE D. KRAUSE [M c. a

ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,259,329 AIR FILTER CONSTRUCTION George D. Krause, Louisville, Ky., assignor to American Air Filter Company, Inc., Louisville, Ky, a corporation of Delaware Filed Sept. 16, 1963, Ser. No. 309,108 Claims. (Cl. 24255.1)

This invention relates to an improved supply roll section construction for an automatic lint condenser of the general character described in US. Patent 2,881,859.

The lint condenser or filter of the form to which the present invention relates uses a lint condensing medium accurately characterized in the above-noted patent as a limp, flimsy, thin, porous, diaphanous sheet-like fabric having a multitude of openings. This material, supplied in wound roll form, is fed from the supply roll to extend across an air stream to present a lint collecting surface. As lint and other contaminants are collected by the material, it is incrementally advanced out of the air stream and wound up, along with the collected material, into another roll at the opposite end of the air stream. The fragile nature of the collecting material is such that care must be exercised during loading of the roll, and during threading of the material from the supply roll into the air flow zone, to avoid damaging the material. To the extent that these operations must frequently be done at inconvenient heights, the problem is compounded.

An object of this invention is the provision of a supply section construction which facilitates loading of the supply roll without requiring inordinately great care, which provides adequate access to the roll for the purpose of threading the material from the roll into the air flow zone, and which, at the same time, meets reasonable requirements of manufacturing economy.

In accordance with the invention, the supply roll section housing is provided with a hinged door which serves as a sealing bottom wall of the housing when closed, and when swung downwardly into a loading position presents a surface against which the periphery of the roll bears as the roll is being rolled upwardly during loading. Seat means for the roll end spindles are fixed to the inner faces of the housing end walls, and track means extend downwardly from the seat means to the bottom open face of -the housing to provide guides against which the roll end spindles bear after the roll periphery leaves the door surface during loading. To provide a smooth transition of support in a front-and-rear direction while the roll is being rolled upwardly into its loaded position, the lower ends of the track means are so spaced relative to the upper marginal portion of the door in its open position that the end spindles will have moved into a position to engage the track means as the periphery of the supply roll moves .ing the bottom of the housing adjacent this work area being open.

The invention will be described in connection with the accompanying drawing illustrating an embodiment thereof by way of example, and wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a broken, side elevational view of an automatic atmospheric lint condenser or filter having a supply roll section constructed in accordance with the invention;

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FIGURE 2 is a fragmentary isometric View of a full supply roll of the filter material, with the mandrel for the roll partially inserted into the core;

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged vertical sectional view of the supply roll housing as mounted on the upper ends of the side panels, the view being taken in a vertical plane parallel to the direction of air flow;

FIGURE 4 is a fragmentary isometric View of one interior end of the supply roll housing showing the seat means and the track means, and with the loading door omitted; and

FIGURE 5 is diagrammatic elevational view showing the loading door open and illustrating in outline successive positions of a supply roll during loading.

The embodiment of the filter illustrated in the drawing generally comprises a top supply roll section 10, a base section 12, and an open'faced intermediate section 14 which generally frames the vertical edges of the air flow zone. An upright, endless belt 16 is mounted to be moved about an upper roller 18 in the top section and a lower roller 20 in the base section. The belt itself is of openmesh construction and serves to move the filter material through the air flow zone as well as support it against displacement by air flow passing in the direction indicated in FIGURE 1.

As noted before, the preferred filter material is of the general character described in US. Patent 2,881,859, and is supplied in wound form upon a hollow core as shown in FIG. 2. A removable mandrel 21 of substantially the same length as the roll core 22 is inserted in the core with the end studs or spindles 23 projecting beyond the roll ends. The full supply roll 24 is rotatably mounted in the top section (FIG. 1), the filter material 25 is threaded off the bottom side of the roll, advanced into the intermediate section and directed downwardly along the upstream flight of the endless belt 16, and is then attached to a rewind mandrel 26 near the bottom of the filter. Further information as to the operation of a filter of this general character may be found in the noted patent.

The supply roll housing construction according to the invention includes (FIG. 3), a top wall 28, a pair of opposite side or end walls 30, a front wall 32 and a stub rear wall 34, and a bottom wall or door 36 hinged along its rear edge 38 so that it can be dropped along its hinged axis to the position illustrated in FIGURE 5. The top section is mounted and held upon the intermediate section 14 by bolts 40 which secure horizontal, inwardly-directed,

bottom flanges 42 (FIGS. 3 and 4) of the top section, to horizontal flanges at the top ends of the side panels 44. Each of the side panels 44 is channel-shaped in crosssection with extended flanges as shown in the revolved section of FIG. 3, and is mounted with a channel being outwardly open, i.e., the bight of the channel is spaced inwardly from the extreme outside of the filter.

As best shown in FIGURE 4, the seat means and track means disposed in the top section comprise members 46 which are Z-shaped in cross-section and have .flanges provided with opposite angular notches 48 which serve to journal the end spindles 23 of the supply roll mandrel after the roll is mounted. As shown, each of the flanges of the Z-member 46 is provided with a notch 48 so that during manufacture of the filter any one Z-member may be used on either side wall of the top section. The one flange of the Z-member is fastened against the inner face of the side wall 30 so that the other flange is thereby spaced inwardly from the side wall a distance equal to the width of the web of the Z-member.

Each Z-rnember 46 is secured so that the notch 48 in the inwardly-spaced flange is substantially centered within the interior space of the housing accommodating the supply roll, and is directed upwardly and forwardly. As

shown, the Z-members are also inclined or tilted forwardly from the vertical. The degree to which the Z-member is inclined is selected so that the distance between the edge of the inwardly-spaced flange at the bottom, and the upper edge of the forward face of the door 36 in its open position, is slightly less than the radius of a full supply roll of the material.

This selected spaced relationship is best shown in FIG- URE 5 wherein the door 36 is shown in an open position and the roll 24 is shown in successively higher positions during loading. The intermediate position shows that as the roll periphery is in a position to leave the upper forward edge of the door the spindles 23 are in a position to engage the bottom and forward flange edges of the Z- members.

The sequence of steps during the loading procedure is generally as follows, still referring to FIG. 5. Assuming that the material from the old supply roll mounted in the supply section has been exhausted, the door 36 is unlatched and swung down to open the bottom face of the housing for access. The old core 22 and mandrel 21 are removed and the mandrel 21 is then inserted in the core of a new roll 24 as shown in FIG. 2. The new roll is then placed in a horizontal position corresponding to the lower roll position of FIG. 5 and rolled upwardly with its periphery bearing against the forward face of the opened door 36. The door is prevented from being pushed rearwardly beyond its FIG. 5 position by the bottom flanged edge of the door engaging the side panel structure. As the roll is rolled upwardly to the upper edge of the door, the end spindles 23 engage against the forward edges of the inner flanges of the Z-rnembers (intermediate roll position in FIG. 5 and the roll is then simply pushed upwardly until the spindles drop into the notches 48 (upper roll position in FIG. 5). The material is then pulled off the bottom side of the roll in its rotatably mounted position and is directed rearwardly and then downwardly along the face of the upstream flight of the endless conveyor 16 for attachment to the rewind roll 26 at the base of the filter. Adjacent the upper end of the endless belt, a tension roller or shaft 50 (FIG. 2) is provided to bear by gravity against the upstream flight of the belt. As shown, the roller may be in the form of a tube extending with its axis parallel to the axis of the belt upper roller 18, and with its ends channelled in the inwardly open channels 52 secured to opposite inner faces of the side walls 30. The roller 50 is removed during the threading operation, and is then replaced to prevent necking of the material in the air flow zone. The door 36 is then closed and latched to seal against air flow through the top section.

It will be readily appreciated that by providing a bottom opening in the housing, access for handling the tension roller 50 and to direct the material off the supply roll and into the air flow zone is greatly facilitated as compared with an arrangement in which the front wall of the housing might be made in an openable manner. In such a case, it would be required that the housing be of substantially greater height so that adequate space could be provided between the bottom of the roll in its mounted position and the bottom wall of the top section housing.

Further, with the bottom loading door arrangement, the door in its open position presents a large surface area against which the periphery of the roll of the filmsy material may ride as it is being loaded. This facilitates loading in a manner which minimizes the chance that the roll will be mishandled in a manner which would result in the material being snagged or punctured.

The invention claimed is:

1. A supply section construction adapted to receive and support a supply roll of filter material wound upon a mandrel having end spindles projecting beyond the edges of said material:

(a) a housing adapted to receive said supply roll, said housing including fixed end walls and an open ottom fa e;

(b) seat means fixed to said end walls to receive said projecting ends; and

(c) means for guiding said roll in a front-and-rear direction during loading thereof, including a loading door for said housing bottom face hinged along its rear edge so that it can be swung downwardly to present a generally vertical surface against which the periphery of said roll bears as said roll is being elevated, and track means extending downwardly from said seat means to said housing bottom face along each of said end walls, the lower end of said track means being disposed forwardly of said opened door surface a distance slightly less than the radius of said roll so that the forward edge of said track means receives and provides rear bearing surfaces for said end spindles as said roll is moved upwardly off said door.

2. A supply section construction adapted to receive and support a supply roll of filter material wound upon a mandrel having end spindles projecting beyond the edges of said material:

(a) a housing adapted to receive said supply roll, said housing including fixed end walls and an open bottom face;

(b) seat means fixed to said end walls to receive said projecting ends; and

(c) means providing rear bearing support for said roll during loading thereof including a door for said housing open bottom face hinged along its rear edge so that it can be swung downwardly to present a substantially vertical forward face, and track means extending downwardly from said seat means to said bottom face along each of said end walls, the lower ends of said track means being so located forwardly from said door face as to be engaged by said end spindles as said roll is moved upwardly to a position where its periphery disengages from said door.

3. A supply section construction adapted to receive and support a supply roll of filter material wound upon a mandrel having end spindles projecting beyond the edges of said material:

(a) a housing adapted to receive said supply roll, said housing including fixed end walls and a bottom wall hinged along its rear edge and adapted to be swung downwardly along said hinged edge to present a generally vertical forward surface adjacent the bottom opening of said housing;

(b) seat means for supporting said roll in substantially centered position in said housing; and

(0) track means extending downwardly along each of said end walls from said seat means to said bottom wall to guide said projecting spindles of said roll in a front-and-rear direction as said roll is being moved upwardly to said seat means, the bottom ends of said track means being spaced forwardly from the upper marginal face of said bottom wall in its open position a distance slightly less than the radius of said roll so that as the periphery of said roll disengages from the surface of said door as said roll is being elevated, said spindles engage against said track means.

4. A construction according to claim 3 including:

(a) stop means limiting opening of said bottom wall to a selected position.

5. A supply section construction adapted to receive and support a supply roll of filter material wound upon a mandrel having end spindles projecting beyond the edges of said material:

(a) a housing adapted to receive said supply roll, said housing including fixed end walls and an open bottom face;

(b) seat means fixed to said end walls to receive said projecting ends; and

(c) means providing bearing support in a front-andrear direction during loading thereof including a 5 6 loading door for said housing bottom face hinged 2,854,304 9/1958 Howlett 31238 along one transverse edge and adapted to be swung 2,875,680 3/ 1959 Forshee .55--354 X downwardly to a position in which a face of said 2,881,859 4/1959 Nutting 55354 X door provides a bearing surface for the periphery of 2,930,663 3/ 1960 Weiss 31238 said roll as it is being elevated, and track means 5 2,939,754 6/1960 Zizzi 312-38 extending downwardly from said seat means to said 3,007,651 11/ 1961 Palmore 55354 X bottom face along each of said end walls, the lower 3,013,630 12/1961 Palmore 55-354 end of said track means being spaced from the 3,069,106 12/1962 Shabram 24265 bearing surface of said door in an open position a 3,140,904 7/1964 Preston et al. 31238 distance slightly less than the radius of said roll so 10 3,175,775 3/1965 Wurtenberg et al. 55-271 X that transfer of the bearing support is changed from 3,176,928 4/1965 Saunders 24258.6

the periphery of said roll to said end spindles as said roll is elevated above said door. FOREIGN PATENTS 541,501 10/ 1955 Belgium. References Cited by the Examiner 15 HARRY B THORNTON P E UNITED STATES PATENTS mmmer' 1,950,159 3/1934 Berry 242 65 D. TALBERT, Assistant Examiner. 2,232,968 2/1941 Price et a1. 24255.53 

1. A SUPPLY SECTION CONSTRUCTION ADAPTED TO RECEIVE AND SUPPORT A SUPPLY ROLL OF FILTER MATERIAL WOUND UPON A MANDREL HAVING END SPINDLES PROJECTING BEYOND THE EDGES OF SAID MATERIAL: (A) A HOUSING ADAPTED TO RECEIVE SAID SUPPLY ROLL, SAID HOUSING INCLUDING FIXED END WALLS AND AN OPEN BOTTOM FACES; (B) SEAT MENS FIXED TO SAID END WALLS TO RECEIVE SAID PROJECTING ENDS; AND (C) MEANS FOR GUIDING SAID ROLL IN A FRONT-AND-REAR DIRECTION DURING LOADING THEREOF, INCLUDING A LOADING DOOR FOR SAID HOUSING BOTTOM FACE HINGED ALONG ITS REAR EDGE SO THAT IT CAN BE SWUNG DOWNWARDLY TO PRESENT A GENERALLY VERTICAL SURFACE AGAINST WHICH THE PERIPHERY OF SAID ROLL BEARS AS SAID ROLL IS BEING ELEVATED, AND TRACK MEANS EXTENDING DOWNWARDLY FROM SAID SEAT MEANS TO SAID HOUSING BOTTOM FACE ALONG EACH OF SAID END WALLS, THE LOWER END OF SAID TRACK MEANS BEING DISPOSED FORWARDLY OF SAID OPENED DOOR SURFACE A DISTANCE SLIGHTLY LESS THAN THE RADIUS OF SAID ROLL SO THAT THE FORWARD EDGE OF SAID TRACK MEANS RECEIVES AND PROVIDES REAR BEARING SURFACE FOR SAID END SPINDLES AS SAID ROLL IS MOVED UPWARDLY OFF SAID DOOR. 